Improvement in automatic water-gate



@11i-teh tatrs atwt ffirr.

IMPROVEMENT 1N AUToMATrc WATER-GATE.

tlgetlghnli teint-nett iu tps trtters' tentent 'nu mating pmtnftlgestmt.

To ALL WHOM 1T MAY coNennN; l

Be it known that I, H. BESSE, of Delaware, in the county of' Delaware,and State of Ohio, have. invented 'a new and improved AutomaticWater-Gate; and I de hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and

exact description thereof, which vwill enable those skilled in the arttamalce and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figures l and 2are 'cross-sectionsof the gate, through the part indicatedby the linefaire', iig. 2.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the gate.

Similar lettcrs'of reference indicate corresponding parts.

vThis invention relates to a gate designed more particularly for farms,but which is available in-other respects where similar conditions are tobe fulfilled. 'Y v It consists of a gate provided with certain devices,which shall accomplish itsl opening andvclos'ing by the water of thestream'which it spans, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In thefdrawings, A is the gate, composed of short plank, nailed toapiece ofsquare timber, a, which latter has its endsreduced and madecircular, for the purpose of itting 'into holes in the posts E, near thebottoms of the same, as shown at g, fig. 3, thus providing pivotsor'centres, pon which the gate turns in opening or closing. G aremud-sills, connecting the bases H of the posts' E, and which mud-sillsand bases are placed the bed of the stream, below the bottom surface ofthe same, so that thewater shall pass over them without obstruction.

To the bottom timber a of the gate proper is secured a projecting float,B, of suiicient bulk to act both as a iloat and a weight, in operatingthe gate.. This iloat maybe shaped as shown in the drawing, and shouldbe of some buoyant wood. It projects from the gate at an 'angle of aboutone hundred and ten degrees from the saame, so that, when thegate isdepressed horizontally'inthe bed ofthe stream, the said iioat will notbe vertical,

and, therefore, likely to descend by its own Weight, when the 'waterhas-subsided which raised it and depressed the ate.

g'.lhis ioat lies againsttthe current, or up stream, and when thev saidstream is swollen, as in a'freshet, the oat is raised-by the water,which acts both to buoyr it up and tcpress against thegate, at one andthe same time, whereby the gate is borne down horizontally, thuspermitting the lWater to pass over it unobstructed, and therebypreventing overflow and its attendant damages, as also the prob-ablesweeping away of the gate. l

A latch, e, is pivoted to one of the posts, and connected, by arod, d,with a Heat, m, which latter is simply a block of buoyant wood, having avertical motion, within a large wire strap, h, attached to one oftheposts. When the water of the stream commences to rise, the @float-blockm'is buoyed up with it, and, by means of its rod, d, lifts the latch e,and preparesthe gate for being opened by the rising `water, as beforedescribed.

The abutments J may be of stone or wood, as desired, and are simply theterminations of a fence or wall leading to the gate. i l i The ioat Bshouldbe soplaced as to be in contact with one of the posts, E, when theformer is raised, to prevent drift-woodpr twigs from getting between itand the post, and thereby preventing its proper action. A plank, D,forms part of the gate-frame, and /sei'ves as a foot-bridge, but may beomitted, as also the posts E,

Abases Hand mud-sills G, the gate merely, with its iioat B, -beingsetinto lstone abutments, to one of which the latch e and its iioat, m,would also be secured, to operate as before described..

If the stream is wide enough to require it, two or more gates may beused, their-action being Videntical with that as above set forth. Thebottom timber a should be just above the low-water mark. V

I have thus provided a gate which shall servo asa panel or panels offence in crossing a farmstream,when

the same is within its banks, and so latched that stock cannot open it,but which will automatically open andA close by the rise or fall of the.water of the stream, and thus protect itself from damages bytheincreased 'volume'of water, or of drift-wood borne thereon, andv alsoprevent the overflow of the contiguous locality. It is simple,cheap,'eic`ent, and durable. -A

I claim as new, and'desire to secure by Letters Patent# 1. A water-gate,A, pivoted at or near its lower margin, and provided with -a' projectingfloat, B, all sub stantially as shown and described, and operating asand for the purpose set forth. l

2. The latch e, or other equivalent'dev'ice', operated by a iioat, m, orother equivalent device, substantially as shown and described, andincombination with the water-gate A, all as and for the purpose setforth.

H. BESSE.

Witn esses t T.V RODNEY SMITH, LEONIDAS PIPER.

